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VOL. XXIV NO. 17, December 16-31, 2014
Are we waiting for their collapse?
(By The Editor)

Who is to blame when a heritage building collapses? The Government would have it that the building is responsible in every way for it. Common sense would say that years of negligence, irresponsible additions and alterations, and sheer administrative apathy would be the principal causes. This debate has been revived with renewed vigour following the collapse of the historic and 144-year-old Mairie building in Pondicherry. That is a loss which the Union Territory neighbouring our State will have to now live with, but there are several similarly endangered buildings in Chennai about which our administration seems to be in no hurry to take steps.

The fall of the Mairie has followed a predictable pattern. Years of protests from heritage enthusiasts about its poor maintenance and lack of routine conservation were followed by vague promises by the Government. Official sanction for restoration came in 2010 but no actual work was taken up, the process of tenders taking its own time. In the meantime, the Indian Institute of Technology was asked to assess the structural stability of the building, which it did and certified some portions to be stronger than others. Conservation work began earlier this year, but it was too late, for, following torrential rains in November, a major portion of the edifice collapsed. The Union Territory Government immediately authorised the demolition of the edifice, citing risk to people in the vicinity. But after heritage activists protested and submitted petitions, the shell of the ground floor has been allowed to remain while what is to be done is being discussed as advised by the Lieutenant Governor.

Khalsa Mahal.

Bringing down a heritage building is usually executed very quickly at a speed rarely matched by restoration activities. That is a script played out everywhere in our country, more so in our State. Tamil Nadu and Chennai, in particular, have scores of such instances. Poor maintenance is usually the first indicator that the administration is not interested in protecting a heritage structure. Take the example of the stand-off between the Government and conservationists in the 1980s over Bentinck’s Building. It was only by emptying the structure and stopping all maintenance that the case for demolition was strengthened. The same holds good for several others – Chepauk Palace, Bharat Insurance Building, Gokhale Hall, the National Art Gallery – the list is endless.

Bharat Insurance Building.

And it is not as though we have had no collapses either. Capper House in the Queen Mary’s College campus was an instance of that. The oldest private building on the beachfront, it fell after being locked up and neglected. Arthur Wellesley’s house inside Fort St. George now consists mainly of debris and has remained that way for over thirty years! More recently, the Madrasa e Azam on Mount Road has lost a wing while everyone quibbles as to what ought to be done.

Gokhale Hall.

There are several more instances when it comes to delay in the start of conservation activities. Everyone knows that the dome surmounting the National Art Gallery in Egmore has developed a crack that is ever widening. But apart from emptying the building and putting up a warning that it is in an enfeebled state, the Government did nothing for years. Funds for restoration were promised two years ago and released a year back. And yet no action has taken place. Chepauk Palace has remained a burnt shell for over three years now, with no activity on the premises.

National Art Gallery.

Do all of these point to a sincere effort in restoration? Most emphatically not. The unexplained tardiness in the passage of a Heritage Act and the setting up of a toothless Heritage Conservation Committee also show that protection of our past is not considered a serious matter. Unless that awareness comes about, we will continue losing out on heritage. Government did nothing for years. Funds for restoration were promised two years ago and released a year back. And yet no action has taken place. Chepauk Palace has remained a burnt shell for over three years now, with no activity on the premises.

Do all these instances point to a sincere effort in restoration? Most emphatically not. The unexplained tardiness in the passage of a Heritage Act and the setting up of a toothless Heritage Conservation Committee also show that protection of our past is not considered a serious matter. Unless that awareness comes about, we will continue losing out on heritage.

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OUR ADDRESSES

In this issue

Are we waiting for their collapse?
Madras Landmarks - 50 years ago
Crowd-funding to support social causes?
Deja vu!
Sowing the seeds of freedom
Laurence Hope – A life of mystery
The Red Hills Railway
A 2500-year-old 'industrial estate'

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